If there’s a way to persuade Sterling – and his fellow owners – to act, it’s through their wallets.

As we’ve repeatedly said, getting Sterling to sell the team will not be easy. However, if he’s making less money from the team and a potential buyer could make more by bringing back the sponsors, that would push the needle in the direction of a sale. As much as he enjoys the fame of owning an NBA team, he’s also notoriously cheap. There’s no telling how he’d balance those two priorities if they butted heads.

And if the Clippers are losing opportunities to make money, the league is losing opportunities to make money. That affects every owner.

None of this will change what the NBA can do about Sterling, but it might change what the league will do and it might change what Sterling will do.